"Quiet, sprawling Seattle suburb lacking a true urban center"

Shoreline is Seattle’s neighboring city to the North. At about 9 miles from downtown Seattle, it’s hard to tell where the Seattle neighborhoods end and Shoreline begins, because it’s all one gentle transition from urban sprawl into the suburbs. It encompasses both Aurora/99 and I-5, which run north/south, and it’s eastern edge reaches Puget Sound.

Amenities: There are plenty of shops spread out down Aurora/99, but it’s not really an urban center. It’s more where you go to do grocery shopping (Costco), stop by Home Depot, or get car repairs. There is a very small group of shops on 185th towards the water, with a couple of restaurants, but virtually no nightlife. This is part of the Richmond Beach neighborhood. Houses are big here, as it’s a favorite place for well-off Seattleites to settle outside of the rush of the city. However, there are several different neighborhoods within Shoreline that have totally different types of housing and residents, so it pays to spend an afternoon driving around to see which area you feel most comfortable in.

There is another are east of I-5 that could be considered an urban center, where you can find a cluster of restaurants along 15th Ave. But being separated from the rest of Shoreline by I-5 and Aurora, this almost feels like another town.

Parks & Recreation: Shoreline has an outstanding YMCA on Aurora, with new facilities including a full pool. The building is huge, and they have lots of classes as well as the full gym amenities. The Crest Movie Theater shows movies that have just left theaters but aren’t out online or on DVD yet for $4.

For parks, Richmond Beach is a gorgeous stretch of walkable beach that’s dog-friendly. Boeing Creek Park is also nearby, and has a good trail system for walkers or runners.

Who: I’d say most people who live here are professionals who work downtown, both single and with families. There are also lots of retirees. Though not quite at Seattle-level prices, the rent is still relatively high compared to elsewhere in Washington, due to the proximity to Seattle.

Commute: To reach Seattle, you can either take the E-line down Aurora, which many people do, or if you’re on the East side of Shoreline, you can take the express buses from the park and ride. It’s not as quick as you would hope, but Seattle is planning to install a light rail station that could speed the commute up significantly.

Finally, Shoreline has invested in sprucing up Aurora/99. They widened the road, added a bus lane, built sidewalks, and updated the landscaping. The only downsides are that this also comes with a lot of construction. At around 200th and Aurora (where the Costco is) there has been roadwork for well over a year. Maybe next year they’ll finally finish!

"Very green, though questionable area"

Shoreline has such dense evergreen foliage, making the entire area very pretty and seemingly attractive to settle down. The proximity of I-5 makes you think that you're close enough to downtown Seattle for a quick trip into town when you feel like it. You have Northgate Mall just a few blocks away to the south, giving the illusion of a great, nearby shopping experience. The homes are close together and there are several small and a few large parks in the area, where you think your kids can safely play.

However, some of the nicer homes are priced unusually high, and many of the less attractive houses are used as rentals. The apartment complexes in the area are hit-or-miss as far as quietness and safety is concerned. Traffic on I-5 in the Shoreline area is backed up during rush hour, with the section of the freeway acting as a bottleneck between Seattle and Everett. Traffic in the Northgate area isn't much better and lasts quite a bit longer than the rush hour traffic on the freeway. There are also many schools in the area, providing a seemingly fertile playground for creeps a little too interested in the kids. Families should keep an eye on their children, not assume that a quiet residential street is a safe place to let kids run around unattended.

Shoreline actually has quite a bit going for it, but there are still some major drawbacks and home buyers should consider all of the factors very carefully.

"Good parks but do your research when you buy"

Each neighborhood has its own feel and its own community association which is nice. The parks are nice and the interurban trail development is a a healthy addition, although it would be nice to see the trail lighted during the winter time. My neighbors are friendly and helpful. Based on my experience living in Shoreline, do your research on the community you're looking to buy in. Shoreline has the highest number of adult family homes in King County (no joke, a stat I heard from someone who works for the state). At one point the community paper (which has since shut down) ran a story about the number of unlicensed facilities that were in Shoreline and the added burden they put on the police and fire department. We unfortunately did not know about these issues when we bought our home in a neighborhood with one licensed adult family home and two "Supportive" living environments ( which don't have to carry adult family home licenses even though they're technically run by an agency and have up to four to five people living in each home) within a three block radius of our home. The headaches we've had dealing with these homes is incredible. Police and fire are routine visitors to our neighborhood because of one particular Supportive living home with very bad management.

"Good neighborhood to raise a family"

Shoreline is a great neighborhood for younger families. The area seems to always rank high on the list for Seattle's best neighborhoods stating that it is a great place for families, kids, seniors, and even singles. I don't necessarily agree with the singles part because when I was single Belltown was the place to be, not Shoreline. In any event, if you are single you probably want to stick to the restaurants and nightlife around Aurora rather than the smaller streets in Shoreline. The Shoreline Community College is located in the neighborhood in between Highland Terrace and Richmond Highlands. This could explain the singles scene.

Great schools are found in Shoreline and some of the most well respected elementary schools in all of Seattle are located here. Families love Shoreline because it is safe and kids can walk around without bodyguards. There are some bad areas around Aurora but for the most part this is a great area.